Best futures prop firms

14 firms on this page indicate on their own website that they accept US traders: Upcomers, Topstep, TradeDay, FundedNext, Elite Trader Funding, DayTraders.com, Emerge Profit, SwissFirmup, Leeloo Trading, Lucid Trading, Purdia Capital, Apex Trader Funding, Take Profit Trader and Ylos Trading. A firm's terms can change, and some limit which products US residents can use, so check before you buy.

Of the 45 futures-only firms, 19 state on their own site that their accounts are paid with a one-time fee: MILTRADERS, PropEd Capital, FundedNext Futures, Tradersyard, Astrofund, Savius, My Funded Futures, Tradeify, Goat Funded Futures, FXIFY Futures, Traders Launch, SwissFirmup, Top One Futures, Halcyon Trader Funding, Apteros Trading, Lucid Trading, Tenacity Trading, ONYX Futures and Bulenox. 21 sell some or all accounts on a monthly or recurring subscription, and 5 do not say clearly on the pages we checked.

15 futures-only firms state that they charge no activation fee when you pass: MILTRADERS, Tradersyard, Uprofit, Astrofund, Savius, My Funded Futures, Tradeify, Goat Funded Futures, FXIFY Futures, Funded Futures Family, Traders Launch, FuturesElite, HyperTicks, Lucid Trading and The Futures Desk. Others charge a fee after you pass, offer it only on some plans, or do not say.

A trailing maximum drawdown moves up as your account reaches new highs, so the level you must stay above rises with your profits. An intraday trailing limit follows your highest balance or equity during the day; an end-of-day trailing limit only moves when the day closes. A static drawdown stays at a fixed level. Some firms stop trailing once the limit reaches the starting balance. The exact rules differ by firm and plan.

Most futures prop firms say their evaluations, and often their funded accounts, are simulated, and that payouts are based on simulated results. Whether a trader is ever moved to a live account differs by firm. Check each firm's terms.